Pikes Peak was my last Front Range 14er. I climbed with my CMC BMS instructor, Robert. We had planned to climb the Eolus group this weekend, but the weather was not looking good out there. We camped the night before, started at 6AM, summited at 10, nabbed Devils Playground summit and Teller County Highpoint, and arrived back at the parking lot arount 2:45PM. The weather was OK: pretty cloudy but it did not rain or snow on us. Lots and lots of tourists at the summit.

The trip that finally made me a true Coloradan! :) It was both my first 14er and first backpacking trip (well, second, techincally - I backpacked up to Barr Camp a couple weeks prior, woke up the next morning to find it was the wknd of the PPA/PPM, so didn't summit that time around). Have been up several times since, including a PPA finish in 2005.

via the barr trail in the 2010 pikes peak marathon. went off course to tag the actual summit, 6 minutes that were worth it to me...tr here http://zoomloco.xanga.com/732717261/purple-mountain-majesties/

We hiked the Barr trail after we got out of class at about 1200 and got started about 1300. It was hotter than hot that afternoon. Stayed about 1/2 mile past Barr Camp and made it to the top the next day and walked back down.

I took the Barr Trail in and then scrambled up some ridiculously dangerous and seemingly discarded Northeastern Class 3 route above treeline. There were some old cairns, not many. Not recommended in winter. Came down the much safer Barr Trail.